Metal-recovering process and apparatus.



K .1. T. & A.G.10NES.

`METALR'ECOVERING PROCESSAND APPARATUS. l .u y APPLlcAloN FILEDMAR. 26, 1914. MNEwED um. 2o. 191e.. 1- 1,174,731. Patented Man?, 1916.

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- `1.1.6. A.G.10 NES; f l l METAL RECOVERING PROCESS AND A PFARATUS, v

N FILED MAR. 26, 19l4 RENEWED 'AN 0 1 1`.2,t91.- y if Patented Mar. 7,1916.

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:il /7 I All PATENT OFFICE.

` TJ'1\]"IAI'.N',` MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS T0 i ILLINOIS, A CORCIEORAT'ION'I 0F `lrnocnss Ann PPARATUS.

l. iS/peccationofIietters Patent.

` y i77.jfnenewea January 2o, 191e, serial No. 73,215.

vereda` in oXid form, after which the recoverthe free metals.` The unconsumed Y solid coke (or charcoal) and the gangue in Ksolidform are removed bymeans of a' dis` `Im ve-` "isfla` foXldizing chamber, and the coke is sepai C "rated `:and fed `again through the furnace a rocessfjWitli a fresh charge of ore'and a suflicient `which `amount of fresh fuel to maintain the prop naine" portions-` "Any metals which may come peraturemdown thro-ugh the `de-oxidiziniggf chamber "l kfwithout vaporizing, or which may cool to a at o -1 lead oXids'f` getherand be recovered at the bottom of the to de-1" dei-oxidizing chamber( r K the` The accompanying drawings illustrate :1p- `paratus adapted to practise the improved process. y Inl` the drawings, Figure l represents an elevational View, partly insection, of the i ess; Fig. 2 represents a section `taken as in-.

tsl an enlarged sectional View of the dechamber.

the construction illustrated, A reprel a eoxidizing chamber; B, a combus. "cmd-collecting chamber; C, a

`with which the chamber B comcates at its upper end. The A'de-oxidizchamber preferably is of circular formand provided with a` base-portion- 1 ysurrnounted byla'dome 2. At the junction offthe bas`e-portion and dome is a bustlepipe, or `annular flue, kvvith which the in terior of the chamber communicates thro-ugh passages 3a. "The fiue 3b` leads from the bustle-pipe 3* to the chamher'B.

iti smo interior dowvnwardlyjconvergent frustconical surface la, at=the lower end of Which "is provided a! disehargedevice 4 which is Uwhich `are adapted to discharge the solid materialsthrough lateral openings 5 in the "fbase-portion 1.` A shallow `collecting-cham- ,finvvhich the gases are burned and the metals shovvnin `the form of a slide which may be hydraulically actuated. The slide 4 is pro- "vided with chambers or passages 4'* andyflb,

Patented Mar. 7, 191e.

are subjected to any desired process Y and charging-device at vthe bottom of the de-` `Y`liquid in the de-oxidizing chamber, will and appa.-` jcoalesoe in pools or globules and may run toi preferred apparatus forpractsing theiproc\7\5 dicated at line 2 of Fig. l; and Fig. 3 rep -yyThe base-portion 1 is provided with the LArn/nw e i. ber 6' belo-w the vslidevl: may servertov colthrough a pipe lect any -uid metals anddischargefthe same 6* to a tank or container 6b.

The upper end of the chamber A is provided with a' hopper 7`1itted with a slide or closure 8. Below the closure 8 is atwyer or twyers 9 provided lwith air-regulating means 9a. Water coils 10 may be used at.

the neck-portion of the de-o-Xidizin'g-chamber for cooling purposes. The combustion-chamber B may comprise an inclined shell having refractory walls and provided interiorly with a series of baule-walls 11, 11a. The flue 3u-communi cates with the lower end of the -chamber B,

and means 12 are provided for supplying air for combustion purposes. The walls 11 have water-passages 13 atI their lower ends and flue-passages` 111 at their vupper ends. The Walls 11a have passages 15 at their lower ends which are higher than the passages 13 and serve both as water-passagesand luei the zig-zag 25k passages.

' the lower Wall of the chamberand discharge them through a pipe 17 into a container 18.

The smoke-stack C is preferably of ample I capacity and height to enable the operation to be carried on by natural-draft.

The twyers 9 should be of su cientsize to supply air in suflicient quantitytomaintaln a' de-oxidizing and Vaporizing temperature and supply the de-oxidizing gases. The

twyer 12 should be of suiiicient size tosupply ample air for combustion4 purposes.

In the practice of the process, charges of ore and fuel are, from time to time, introduced through' the hopper 7 the closure 8 being withdrawn to permit this operation, and then closed. The fuel is preferably mainly in the form of large lumps or blocks adapted to space or isolate the ore-portionsand envelop themwith solid carbonaceous fuel. The fuel is preferably several times as heavy as theore andmany times the volume of the ore. For illustration, the ore and fuel may be mixed in the .proportipns of 2,50 pounds of ore, 400 pounds of coke, and 100 pounds of bituminous coal, the volume of the fuel thus being many timesythc Volume of the ore. The chamber A is kept practically full, the freshtcharges of ore and f ucl being `introducedv vfrom time to time.

face ofthe ore and fuel body. The operation is carried on under conditions to producea hot zone at the upper portionl of the ore body, the temperature preferably considerably exceeding 2000" F. -at this'zone, suiiicient air being supplied throughthe twyers In Fig. 3, thei dotted lines 19 may indicatefthe vupper surcover thefree metals.

9 toei'ect thisfresiilt. "Carbon dioxid is formed inthe upper zone, and this changes the upper end of/,the chamber. vThe temper# ature falls as theiilowerportionof the de- -oxidizing chamber is approached.A The de-v oxidizing gasesv pass through the flue 3",

carrying with themthe metal vapors. Air is introduced through the twyer 12,and comipletecombustion is efected in the chamber B ,Uthe products of o bustion passing off through'thp stack C.f""f' `nyfsulfur which may be' present-lis burned, while-the oXids prod iced drop to the .bottom of the chamber B and are washedout through the pipe 17 to the container The'pxids are removed from the5 chamberfglS' and treated according to anykixown or desired process to revfl`he unusedcoke and .settle down through thelower vportion of the chamber LA, vand the deyice 4 is Joperated from tin1 e to time-to discharge portions of the coke and gangue in .solid form through the openings 5,.. 'Any-metals which may be cooled or condensed inthe lower portion A- willcollect insmall pools of thel chamber orglobules on the solid fuel, and may run lecting-tank 6".

. oetherinthe depressions 6 and pass to the coke and gangue through the openings 5.

The coke may be separated and used again,

'so that any metal lobules Which may adgreater.

here will, in the chamber A, be .ff porized and coalcsg ticles andeollcctedg-.- oxidizing chamber. v

In place -of coke yand coal, charcoal and with other metal parat the bottom of the de- Wood may be employed as fuel,.in which case the Volume o. .fuel, as compared with the volume of orefwillbe disproportionately The-wond` maybe 16 inch cord-` wood or slab-Wooch'i andfresh charcoal will' be continuously formed in the operation Ato replenish the charcoal which is consumed.

It may be noted` that the relative small amount of coal or wood which is employed from timefto time to replenishA the coke orcharcoal furnishes hydrocarbons whichr aid in the reducing action.v should not be so high as to effectY anyv general fusing of the slag constituents of the ore, nd the use ofso large anexcess of solid fuel aids in preventingtheformation of a bath as well as serving duction. y

be' orne frozen wi ll be dischargedWiththev The temperature 'to a Kcle-oxidizing gas a short distance below gangue in solid form Any metals which may t passage through the land .vaporized, or Va-y 12e toenvelop oriisolate.V vthe i orc-portions which :are lundergoing re` It is desirable -tofemploy--a chamber which will cause, the mixture of fuel and ,ore to assume therform of-fajrela-.fv

tively-low drawn readily through the stack so that the/gases may :1 mixture without? ral may, e employedi'rzf kaii'be underp essure, 'theypowerl which? oniiredto` el, fate the? airfblastwill A lfulnafeyhaving ya diameter at, eline `of yQignfeet preferably has a n iustle-line of `approxi#` air" twyers 9 fmay be` y y y ches, in which casesiz;` tw ersL` shoulda furnish` "ample air-` casesflit :may be desirable to employ of" fresistaht material, vsuch as silica bou er to* serve fasspaeers.` In suchcase,"

t n `ight `e suppliedvinany desired theproportion of fuel would need sufiieientl reat` tomaintlainfthe r `d -miidizingconditions-` -The combusiberfB n have a` cross-sectional "a`squar feet` orf more, iandfmay be length.

hat W "regar f 1 recovering metals have 1n subje ting,in,ardeeoiidiingchamber;

of" orek `niirecl i with fuel of f several me "its volurne` 'ariel` sufficient "to maintain l y upsinsuhstantial isolation, toja: de oa di ingl a. n, vaporizingl temperature, n

ng` a` de Kid` ngfmediumy Without ing iibath of th" slagmaking `constitu- `le re,an passingthe(le-oxidizing alpors` to af combustion` l iiicient air theretofto ecovering the metals,` y said:` lcombustiocham-` of recovering metalslliav- 1 ointfwliiclr consists 'dizing chamber,` a y n 5lump"fuelof sevf n im andi suiiicientato mainnsubstantial iisolatioin mitelVK air-supply introfr n, n i nnus"maintaining a de!` `ajnrl-i xjior zing mediurm` without v bath of: the slag-making constitu-ni' for pas ing the` (ie-oxidizing lpoisyto a combustionuilieient air `thereto to" `vering the Tnetals"inb` ieembustionehamber,n `infie to time,r uneon- 'nel` andl the ga'ngue `ittom ,of the" de-ok dizf ering Ametals"havp v nt,L which crnlsistsl jidizinglchambei ith" ump fueliofnsl n iflicienttoznlailiflhstantial isolation,` "l vaporizin temperaf deoxidizing medium,

fresh fuel to maintain the proportions again through the de-oxidizing chamber.

4. The process of recovering metals'having a` lowvolatilizing point, which consists in` heating, in" a dla-oxidizing chamber, a

i mixture of orej and` infusible spacingelumps i of several times the volume of the ore aridw I 4serving practically to isolate the ore-lump groups, maintaining in the chamber a deoxidizing gas and atemperature suilicient to de-oxidize and` vaporize the metals,` and l ,n n n n passingthe dis-oxidizing gas with` the metall. gl point, `whwlrcoiisists vapors 'through a combustion-chamber and recovering the metals'in oxid form.,

`5. The process of recovering metals having a low oxidizing point, which consists in ,maintaining in ai de-oxidizing chambena low stack of ore mixed with several times i `itsvolunfieof soliol fuel, supplying airtotlie upper portion of saiddefoxidizing chamber in sufiicientquantity to provide a fle-oxidizf ingiand vaporizing zone, without forming a bath of4 the earthy constituents `ofthe ore, 'passing the de-oXidizing gases and metal vapors thropgh a combustion-chamber and;

"supplyingair thereto and Y:recovering the `metalsrin oxid form, removing portions of? 1 the unconsu ed; fuel and the gangue in solid",`

format the i ase-portionof the de-oxildizing v chamber from time to time, and re-,charging the unconsumed fuelV together with a` fresh` v charge of ore and sufficient fresh fuel to, `main`tain the proportions again into the `upper portionA of the dre-oxidizing chamber. n 6, In an apparatus for, recovering metals having-a relatively low fusing point, the combination of a de-oxidizing chamber provided atits base-portion with means for dis- `charging unconsumed fuel and gangue in",

solidiforirn meansfor charging a mixture of oreand` fuel` 1nto the` upperportion of" said chamber, means for,A supplying' an' 1n limited quantities `to.theupper portion of saidchamw a ,loer`V a combustion-chamber communicating n withthe `muldleportwn. of saldl de-oxidiz1ng chamberhand` means for` collecting metal values frein` the colnbustlon-chamber.-

n 7. Inanapparatusfor recovering metals-,i having a,` relatively low` fuslngpolnt, the

combination of a cle-oxidizing chamber pro- `Yidecl` at "ltsibaseportxon with means .for

i `discharging unconsumed fueland ganguein n solid`form,`meansfor, charging a mixtureof oreA @nd fuel Vinto the upper portion of said* ying metal value froin the combustion-chenichamber, mealls fonsupplying aifr indIimted ber. l

quantities to t e upper portion o sai chamv ber, a combustion-chamber provided With a ,i V 5 tortuous passage and communicating with the middle portion of the depoxidizing cham-"` y In the presence ofber', asmokestack communicating with said NELLxE B. DEARBORN, combust1on-chambeI-,-and means for co11ect- 4 OTTILIE C. AVISUS. 

